Monday, November 25, 2013

Book Review: Legend by Marie Lu

I've been wanting to read this one for quite some time now. Not sure why it took so long, but it finally was bumped to the top somehow and then I devoured it in a just a day or two. What fun ride!

This is the story of two kids, one in who lives in privilege in a future society in what used to California. This girl is a genius prodigy and is has aced her tests and goes to the best school and is rising to the top of the military world. The boy, on the other hand, is a wanted criminal, living on the streets, hiding from everyone including his family that he watches over and takes care of, even though he's on the run.

There's a plague on the lose and when he tries to get the cure for his family, he sets into motion a bunch of events that ends up playing him and the prodigy girl against each other. And then he discovers stuff and she discovers even more stuff and then all their world is changed.

It's awesome. It's awesome because the action is intense, the relationship is intense, the story is intense adn the characters are unique and wonderful. And the writing is a blast too. (I seem to be paying more attention to the writing of books lately, umm, I wonder why.) I loved the familiar, yet messed up world. I'm not sure I totally understood the the politics, but it appears a certain group has taken over the California area and they are fighting against what would be the rest of the US as we know it.. .called the Patriots, or the Colonies. I'm not quite sure how that all works, but I'm sure I'll figure it out in the next book, Prodigy, which I look forward to reading soon!

Bottom line: I loved it.

Other Reviews:

You guys, Legend has all the things I want in a YA dystopian story --- political intrigue, governmental conspiracies, systematic plagues, a nation at war and two incredibly strong protagonists. SO GOOD.From Foil the Plot

Cinematic action, romance, politics, extremely sketchy medical experiments, some possible Soylent Green-ish doings (<--that one is extremely unlikely, but sicko that I am, I can't help but hope for it), codes, cage fights, and a couple of seriously shocking-ass moments... Legend is fun stuff.From Bookshelves of Doom

Why did I like this book, besides the stuff up there? It's because Day and June were so clearly a match for each other, both as enemies and romantically. They're equally smart, equally gutsy, equally compassionate. From Confessions of Bibliovore

Wow, what a ride. When an invisible barrier suddenly descends on this small town, how will the people handle things? Let's just say... not very well! Would it be giving away too much if I say... pretty much EVERYONE dies! And all written in...